CWA and the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound team up for three weeks of summer camps
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
July was full of new experiences for members of the Lakewood Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound. High school students at Charles Wright Academy volunteered to put on three week-long all-expenses-paid summer camps for Club members. A total of 49 kids, ages six and up, learned basic photography, created their own pottery in the school’s ceramics studio, developed new computer skills, and played sports on the school’s fields and courts. They also enjoyed field trips to the zoo, nature hikes, and bowling. Read the rest of this entry »
Lots of high school students like to be fashionable. Jenny Lee likes fashion itself, so much so that she’s about to devote four years of her life to learning the art and business of fashion design at one of the nation’s leading art and design colleges, Parsons The New School for Design. Like many of her classmates, Jenny first looked broadly at colleges. “Everyone wants to have that normal college experience,” she says. “Then, a year ago, I was watching the fifth season of “Project Runway” and it just snapped in my mind – ‘This is what I want to do.’ So, I’m not going to have the normal college experience.” 
Congressman Norm Dicks has selected CWA senior Jennifer Lee as Washington’s Sixth Congressional District winner of the 2010 Congressional Art Competition. Lee’s win was announced at an event in Tacoma last week and she will be honored at the unveiling event in Washington D.C. in June. Her work will hang in the Capitol complex for the next year among works by students all across the country. 
“When I was younger I wanted to go away to college. Then I realized that if I was from any other part of the country, I would want to come here,” says CWA senior Susan Blyler. “I like the attitude of people in the Northwest, the vibe and the culture.” That’s the main reason that after ten years at Charles Wright, while her classmates fan out across the country, next fall Susan will be moving across town to attend Pacific Lutheran University. 
A Charles Wright Tarrier since the age of four, student body president and captain of the boys golf team, senior Chris Panagiotu has received a lot of advice about the college admissions process. It turned out that the very best piece of advice came from a fellow student: “You should look at Oregon.” 
The students in CWA’s Upper School printmaking class just published their first book. If you’re looking to brush up on the alphabet, you might want to get a copy. They’re selling online for $16.90, which covers the cost of publication. Click here to check out 
Each spring, all CWA seniors enrolled in an advanced visual art class are required to put up an exhibition of their work. It’s a unique opportunity for students who have typically spent three to four years studying in the visual art department to show off their work. Senior shows are meant to be a culmination of that experience and are shared with the entire CWA community. The first exhibit got under way last night and everyone is invited to come see student work displayed in the Upper School throughout the next eight weeks. 
Five CWA musicians won honors at the regional solo and ensemble competitions in March and will advance to the state instrumental and vocal contests in late April at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. Junior Lauren Dudley won the very competitive soprano vocalist category. Sophomore Sarah Yamamoto won the cellists’ division. CWA’s senior flute trio of Kara Chevrier, Cindy Chen and Sarah LeFrancois also advance to state. 
Early in her college search, CWA senior Megan Konrad narrowed her hunt to schools in the South Sound. “Originally I was looking for colleges that were nearby so that my dad wouldn’t have to spend a ton of money for room and board,” she explains. There are quite a few good colleges in the area, however. Knowing she was interested in continuing her studies in English literature and Japanese, Megan narrowed her search further by focusing on schools with strong programs in both areas. She quickly identified the University of Puget Sound as her top choice. “Washington’s my home,” she says. “I would have enjoyed going out of state and spreading my wings a little wider, but staying close to home’s not bad. I’m really looking forward to it.” 
Even the most brilliant creative writers can often go unnoticed. Unless you have a class with them or ask to read something they write, there’s a good chance you won’t have any idea what sort of work they create. Creative writing just simply isn’t a flashy talent that leads to a lot of public accolades. That’s part of why CWA’s Middle and Upper School literary magazines are so important.